


Outta My Way (Murder Time)

by novaauster



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: M/M, Soulmate AU, idiots to lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:07:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28019739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/novaauster/pseuds/novaauster
Summary: The first color Zuko ever saw was blue. In other circumstances, he might’ve been concerned because blue was a Water Tribe color. This was, unfortunately, the least of his concerns.The first color Sokka ever saw was gold, which sucked. Gold wasn’t a bad color, it was the color of money, and Sokka liked money. It sucked because gold was also the color of a certain Fire Nation prince’s eyes.Or, a mostly-joke Zukka soulmate au in which the first time you see your soulmate’s eyes you can see the color of their eyes, and slowly the colors adjacent to those until you can see the full spectrum.Warning: Zuko calls Sokka gayboy, which might be a slur?
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 140





	Outta My Way (Murder Time)

Prince Zuko was going to capture the Avatar. He was actually going to do it. He saw the blue-white beacon. It couldn’t be anything but spirit energy. And the only place the Avatar could hide was a small village, small enough that it wouldn’t try to fight. He probably didn’t even need to wear his armor, the armor that he’d never admit was too heavy for him. He knew that he’d still be grateful for it when he went outside, as it was bitterly cold and he still hadn’t mastered the breath of fire. 

He felt the ship’s momentum stop, grinding through the ice, forcing a canyon to the edge of the Water Tribe village. It made an awful grinding noise, resonating through the iron of the ship and into him. Yes, surely, the cracking of the ice was the only reason for the tremble in his bones.

Behind him, there were four soldiers. One of them was Lee, one of them was Tom, one of them was Lieutenant Jee… he didn’t remember the name of the last one. He should know their names by now. He wished that his place of honor, as the commander of the ship, wasn’t in front of the soldiers. He couldn’t see them, or what they’d do next. What were they thinking?

Probably that he was a fool, for trying to find the long-dea-- long-lost Avatar in a frozen wasteland. That didn’t matter. 

The front of the ship lowered with a hiss. The air crystallized where the warm indoors met the polar weather. Ice broke into rubble where the bottom of the ramp dug into it. Zuko shivered.

And one boy in Water Tribe war paint, holding a club that must’ve been made a century ago, charged up towards Zuko, yelling. Zuko wasn’t fazed by the attack. He kicked the club out of the boy’s hands. It sailed into the snow.

Then both of them froze, and not just because of the weather.

Sokka was going to protect Katara, no matter what. When she met Aang, she saw a different gray, and Aang saw blue for the first time. They were soulmates, and though Sokka might’ve been concerned that his little sister was soulmates with a centenarian, it still meant that Aang was honorary Water Tribe. 

Sokka may have been the only warrior in his village, but he was going to protect it from any Fire Nation soldiers that dared to return after the Southern Raids. He didn’t care what he had to do.

Except for the fact that the captain of the Fire Nation ship had gold eyes. Maybe just one gold eye, Sokka couldn’t quite tell, with the scar like Fire war paint over the captain’s left eye. That didn’t matter. Sokka could see the color gold, and that meant that the captain was his soulmate. 

Sokka didn’t usually curse. He shouldn’t, in front of his Gran-Gran and little sister. But… “Shit!”

The captain Spider-Man pointed at him. “Fuck!”

“I’m Sokka. You?”

“Prince Zuko,” he answered, dazed.

Prince. Well, at least he was rich. “Which…” Sokka really wanted to reach for his boomerang. He refrained. “Which one of us is gonna… you know.”

Zuko’s mother had taught him about soulmates. She had told Zuko never to ignore it if he found his. So, the right thing to do was be a gentleman and yield to his soulmate’s political views. But… the Firelord would find out, and he wouldn’t show mercy this time. The color of his eyes wouldn’t matter if both of them were blinded.

But. “You have the Avatar?”

“What’s it to you, darling?”

Well, now all of Zuko’s face was red. Blame it on the cold. Anyways. The Avatar would be stronger than the Firelord. He knew that. Would the Avatar protect him? He would be an Air Nomad, the Air Nomads wanted peace and balance… “Outta my way, gayboy.” When Sokka stood there, probably stunned, Zuko kicked him off the ramp and scrambled back into his ship.

It was dim in the ship, compared to the polar summer. Zuko couldn’t tell if it was warmer. He was running. He kicked open the door to the navigation room, where Uncle was drinking tea, and then stood there for a second, breathing heavily.

“Are you alright, nephew?” Uncle asked redundantly.

Zuko held himself up with a hand on the doorway and tried very hard not to say _fuck _. “Fucking… Water Tribe boy. Blue eyes.”__

__Uncle offered him some calming jasmine tea._ _

__“I mean. There’s a Water Tribe boy outside… I mean this is Water Tribe land, so of course… my point is I could tell that his eyes are blue. So he’s my soulmate and also he’s friends with the Avatar so one of us is gonna have to switch sides. What do I do.” He accepted the cup of tea and threw it back like a shot._ _

__“And he’s still outside?” Uncle confirmed, studying his pai sho board._ _

__“Yeah?”_ _

__“You met your soulmate and you didn't invite him in? Zuko.”_ _

__“Oh, shit, you’re right.” And off he went again, bumping into several trained firebending soldiers on the way like a fucking pinball. He stumbled past Lieutenant Jee and saw, to his horror, that the Avatar, who was a twelve-year-old Air Nomad with master tattoos, was digging Sokka out of a snowdrift using a glider staff._ _

__Sokka brandished a fist at him. “You still wanna capture the Avatar, darling?”_ _

___Why _was he still calling Zuko that? Wasn’t he mad or something? “Come inside,” Zuko yelled down.___ _

____“You’re gonna capture _me _? I’m flattered, but at least buy me tea first.” Sokka clawed his way out of the snowdrift, flopping like a penguin-seal.___ _ _ _

______“Hey, Avatar, can you kill my dad?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The Avatar paused. “Violence isn’t really…”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes or no.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Technically…”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Zuko’s hands definitely weren’t on fire as he rephrased “If my dad tried to kill me would you stop him.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah, of course? Why do you ask?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Zuko’s hands stopped being on fire. “Alright. Gayboy, come inside, and bring the Avatar. Please.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______A Water Tribe girl stomped up the ramp, brandishing a piece of ice, which she might’ve been bending. “If you’re capturing Sokka and Aang you have to get through me first.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m not _capturing _my soulmate. Or the Avatar. I’m committing treason-- Lieutenant Jee, is that alright?”___ _ _ _ _ _

________“Yes, Prince Zuko,” Jee said flatly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Zuko nodded, half imperious and half utterly bewildered. “We’re going to have tea.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _ _ _

________ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The gaang alternately travels on Zuko’s ship and Appa, depending on the need for stealth. Aang learned firebending, and then waterbending. Zuko helps Katara duel Master Pakku in return for Katara kicking Zhao’s ass. Sokka learns swordbending from his soulmate. Yue lives. When Azula sees how Zuko’s taught Aang, she decides that it’s unacceptable and the Avatar needs a proper teacher. Toph, Sokka, and Azula strike up the most chaotic friendship. Ozai never stood a chance. Iroh is crowned Firelord, and Sokka petitions to become the crown prince. Azula always threatens to assassinate him, but never really gets around to it, as she’s busy with Mai and Ty Lee, all becoming Kyoshi Warriors for real._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Sometimes, happily ever after begins with cursing, a quick introduction, a “what’s it to you, darling,” an “outta my way, gayboy,” and a sprinkle of treason over jasmine tea. <3_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Now, please go read They Who Know 9,999 Things, which is the fic I’m _actually _working on. If anyone actually wants to write this story, credit me and go wild.__


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